Pamphlet  Collection 

K's-roitv  Library 


JOSEPH  FUNK 

!> 

Father  of  Song  in  Northern  Virginia. 


By 

JOHN  W.  WAYLAND,  Ph.D. 


Price  25c. 

THE  RUEBUSH-KIEFFER  CO.,  Dayton,  Va. 


Pamphlet  Collection 
Duke  University  Library 


a t 

j Joseph  Funk,— Father  of  Song  in  Northern  Virginia.  £ 

$ By  JOHN  W.  WAYLAND,  Ph.  D.  £ 

h ...  t 

• Author  of  the  “German  Element  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley  of  Virginia,”  “A  History  • 

W of  Rockingham  County,  Virginia,”  Etc.  • 

»_ _ _ c 


[This  biographical  sketch  was  written  for,  and  published  in  The  Pennsylvania-German,— a monthly  magazine  of 
Biography,  History,  Folklore  and  Literature,  published  at  Lititz,  Pa.  It  is  by  the  kind  permission  of  W.  H. 
Kriebel,  Editor  of  The  Pennsylvania-German,  that  we  reprint  the  same. — Editor]. 


ONE  hundred  and  ten  years  ago  a young 
Pennsylvania -German,  then  resident 
in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  crossed  the 
low  ridge  in  the  forest  east  of  his 
father’s  house  and,  starting  at  a cool 
spring  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  began 

to  chop  out  a clearing.  Soon  he  took 

some  of  the  splendid  logs  of  oak  and  pine  and 
built  a dwelling;  his  young  wife  came  into 
that  dwelling,  and  it  became  a home;  the 
clearing  grew  and  became  a heritage;  the 
name  increased  and  came  into  honor  far  and 


those  gifts;  his  memory  is  perennial  in  the 
spirit  of  song. 

That  young  man  was  Joseph  Funk,  a native 
of  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania.  His  domi- 
cile in  the  Virginia  forest  has  grown  into  the 
beautiful  little  village  of  Singer’s  Glen.  The 
surrounding  county  of  Rockingham  is  a fa- 
mous music  center,  not  only  for  the  adjacent 
districts  of  Virginia  and  West  Virginia,  but 
also  for  a number  of  States  south  and  west. 
It  is  probably  true  that  there  is  not  another 
county  in  any  State  of  the  United  States 


Home  of  Joseph  Funk,  where  he  lived  and  died;  now  occupied  by  a grandson, 
who  with  his  wife,  appears  in  this  picture.  The  small  house  in  the  fore- 
ground is  the  old  loom  house,  converted  into  the  print  shop  in  1847.  The  big 
spring  is  in  the  shadow  at  the  right. 

wide;  for,  having  once  established  a home  for  where  the  rudimentary  knowledge  of  music  is 
his  children,  this  man  became  a benefactor  in  so  generally  diffused  among  the  people,  or 
many  homes;  he  and  his  sons  have  led  one  where  the  practice  of  home  and  congrega- 
generation  after  another  into  the  discovery  of  tional  singing  is  so  generally  prevalent  as  in 
divine  gifts,  and  he  still  lives  in  the  vitality  of  this  county  of  Rockingham,  in  the  Shenan- 


doah  Valley  of  Virginia.  A careful  study  of 
the  situation,  its  causes  and  development, 
will  reveal  the  fact  that  these  conditions,  as 
just  outlined,  have  been  brought  about  pri- 
marily by  Joseph  Funk;  secondarily,  by  his 
sons  and  grandsons.  To  one  familiar  with 
the  situation,  this  fact  is  obvious.  Accord- 
ingly, we  deem  the  term  appropriate  when 
we  call  Joseph  Funk  the  father  of  song  in 
Northern  Virginia.  Were  it  possible  to  use  a 
term  still  more  expressive  of  initiative,  derec- 
tive,  and  stimulative  influence,  we  believe 
that  the  tribute  implied  in  such  a term  would 
not  be  undeserved. 

According  to  the  date 
on  his  tombstone,  Joseph 
Funk  was  born  March  9, 

1777.  He  was  the  elev- 
enth child — the  seventh 
son — of  Henry  Funk  and 
Barbara  Showalter  his 
wife.  Henry  Funk  was 
in  the  earlier  part  of  his 
manhood  a preacher  in 
the  Menonite  Church.  In 
1786  he  with  all  his  fam- 
ily, except  his  oldest  son 
Jacob,  left  Pennsylvania 
and  came  to  Virginia,  to 
the  then  new  county  of 
Rockingham,  and  settled 
some  nine  or  ten  miles 
north  of  Harrisonburg, 
the  county-seat,  at  the 
eastern  foot  of  the  Little 
North  Mountain.  Land 
was  abundant  and  fertile. 

The  forest  was  cleared 
away,  and  the  wilderness 
was  made  to  blossom  like 
the  rose.  The  land  is  still 
fertile,  and  the  Funks  are 
more  abundant.  They  are 
still  at  Singer’s  Glen  and  near  it,  though 
many  have  gone  far  abroad;  Squire  John 
Funk,  sixth  son  of  Joseph,  is  hale  and  jovial 
at  the  age  of  89.  He  lives  where  his  grand- 
father Henry  Funk  settled  in  1786,  just  across 
the  low  ridge  west  from  Singer’s  Glen,  where 
the  cool  spring  still  flows:  the  spring  by  which 
hi3  father.  Joseph  Funk,  began  to  chop  out 
the  clearing  a hundred  and  ten  years  ago. 

Joseph  Funk  was  twice  married  and  twice 
widowed.  On  Christmas  Day,  1804,  he  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Rhodes.  She  died  February  7, 
1813,  leaving  five  children:  Jonathan,  Henry, 
Elizabeth,  Susan  and  Barbara.  On  the  6th  of 
September,  1814,  he  married  Rachel  Britton, 
who  lived  till  December  9,  1833,  and  bore  him 


nine  children;  Mary,  Joseph,  David,  Samuel, 
Hannah,  John,  Timothy,  Solomon,  and  Ben- 
jamin. 

A hundred  years  ago  men  were  versatile. 
They  needed  to  be  so.  Joseph  Funk  was  a 
land  owner  and  farmer;  he  was  also  a school- 
master; he  knew  something  of  herbs  and 
their  use  as  simple  remedies  for  human  ail- 
ments; he  became  a translator  of  religious 
works,  the  author  of  several  controversial 
pamphlets,  the  author  and  publisher  of  music 
books,  the  head  of  a printing,  publishing,  and 
binding  establishment,  and  a famous  itine- 
rant teacher  of  vocal  music.  Above  all,  he 
was  a man  of  deep  piety, 
strict  integrity,  and  a 
most  influential  factor  in 
the  moral  uplift  of  his 
community  and  State. 

When,  how,  or  where 
Joseph  Funk  received  his 
educational  training  is  a 
matter  largely  of  conjec- 
ture. It  is  probable  that 
he  attended  school  very 
little.  In  the  common 
phrase,  he  seems  to  have 
been  chiefly  a self-made 
man.  Whether  he  learned 
mainly  from  living  teach- 
ers or  from  his  own  mas- 
tery of  books,  he  learned 
well.  He  had  a wide 
knowledge  of  books  as 
well  as  of  men;  he  rarely 
misspelled  a word;  his 
penmanship  at  its  best 
was  elegant;  his  punctua- 
tion and  use  of  capitals 
almost  without  exception 
followed  accurately  the 
approved  standards  of  his 
day;  his  command  of  lan- 
guage in  the  expression  of  thought  always 
shows  power  and  nearly  always  exactness;  his 
literary  style,  as  exemplified  in  his  manu- 
scripts and  numerous  extant  letters,  is  ele- 
vated and  dignified. 

On  the  slope  of  the  hill,  about  eighty  yards 
from  his  dwelling,  and  about  half  that  dis- 
tance beyond  the  spring,  Mr.  Funk  built  a 
schoolhouse.  It  stood  there  many  years, 
and  was  used  for  the  purpose  originally 
contemplated.  Beside  the  spring,  near  the 
dwelling  house,  a loom  house  was  erected 
about  1804.  The  main  floor  is  five  or  six 
feet  above  the  surrounding  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  the  apartment  below  was 
used  as  a dairy.  The  heavy  oak  logs  of 


Joseph  Funk’s  printing  office,  where  he  set 
up  his  press  in  1847 — said  to  have  been  the  first 
Menonite  press  in  America. 


the  structure  seem  to  bear  lightly  the  marks 
of  a century  and  more,  even  where  the 
weather-boarding  has  been  some  time  re- 
moved. This  old  log  loom  house  was  used,  at 
least  occasionally,  for  school  purposes  during 
the  period  from  1837  to  1847 ; in  1847  it  was 
fitted  up  as  a print  shop,  and  a bindery  was 
built  adjoining  it.  For  many  years  there- 
after—thirty  or  more — books  and  periodicals 
by  the  thousand  were  sent  out  from  that  little 
log  structure,  far  and  wide  into  the  great 
world.  One  may  be  confident  in  the  assertion 
that  in  all  of  those  books  and  papers  there 
was  not  a single  sentence  or  word  that  would 
need  to  be  expurgated  before  a mother  could 
read  them  to  her  children. 

The  old  log  loom  house,  alias  schoolhouse, 
alias  printing  house,  has  had  all  the  subsidiary 
structures  removed,  and  now  again  at  the 
last,  as  at  the  first,  it  stands  by  the  spring 
alone.  May  it  long  be  spared — preserved — as 
a relic  of  bygone  days,  as  a monument  to  a 
great  man  and  a great  work  well  done. 

Joseph  Funk’s  chief  work  was  done  as  a 
teacher,  particular  of  vocal  music,  and  as  a 
compiler  and  publisher  of  music  books.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  remainder  of  this  paper  shall 
be  devoted  to  his  work  in  those  phases:  other 
things  being  mentioned  only  incidently.  Thus 
we  hope  to  be  true  to  the  caption  chosen,  and 
to  prove  its  fitness. 

When  exactly  Mr.  Funk  began  studying  or 
teaching  music  has  not  been  ascertained,  but 
by  the  year  1832  he  had  attained  to  a con- 
siderable degree  of  experience  and  efficiency 
in  the  art  of  song;  for  in  that  year  he  pub- 
lished the  first  edition  of  his  music  book  that 
has  since  become  famous.  * I have  before  me 
a copy  of  that  book  in  its  first  form.  It  is 
bound  in  paste  boards,  covered  on  the  outside 
with  mottled  paper.  The  back  and  corners 
are  leather.  The  size  of  the  volume  outside 
is  six  by  nine  inches,  and  it  opens  at  the  end. 
It  contains  208  pages.  The  first  twenty-six 
are  taken  up  with  the  title-page,  preface,  a 
metrical  index,  and  mainly  with  an  “Elucida- 
tion of  the  Science  of  Vocal  Music.”  The 
last  two  pages  of  the  book  are  devoted  to  the 
“General  Index”  and  “Erratta.” 

*Mr.  Funk  evidently  published  an  earlier  music  book, 
the  title  of  which  was  “Choral  Music.”  According  to 
an  article  by  Elder  Daniel  Hays,  of  Broadway,  Va., 
published  April  23,  1908,  in  the  Harrisonburg,  Va., 
Daily  News,  “Choral  Music”  was  printed  by  Lawrence 
Wartmann,  Harrisonburg,  Va.,  and  appeared  in  1816. 
Says  Elder  Hays:  “The  text  was  printed  in  German, 

while  the  music  was  printed  in  Andrew  Law’s  four 
shaped  notes.” 


The  contents  of  the  title-page  are  as  follows: 
A COMPILATION  OF 
GENUINE  CHURCH  MUSIC, 
COMPRISING 

A VARIETY  OF  METERS, 

ALL 

HARMONIZED  FOR  THREE  VOICES 
TOGETHER  WITH 
A COPIOUS  ELUCIDATION  OF 
THE  SCIENCE  OF  VOCAL  MUSIC. 

by  Joseph  funk. 

“And  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  shall  re- 
turn, and  come  to  Zion,  with  songs  and 
everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads.” — Isa- 
iah, ch.  XXXV.  v.  10. 

winchester: 

Published  at  the  office  of  the  Republic. 

(J.  W.  HOLLIS,  PRINTER.) 

1832. 

The  above  is  an  exact  copy,  except  as  to 
the  different  size  of  type,  length  of  lines,  etc. 
The  quotation  from  Isaiah  is  all  in  one  line, 
in  small  type.  “Genuine  Church  Music”  is 
displayed  as  the  title  proper.  Inside  the  front 
lid  is  a small  yellowed  label,  “E.  Watts,  Book- 
Binder,  Charlottesville.” 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  the  first  edition 
of  Funk’s  “Genuine  Church  Music”  was 
printed  in  Winchester,  Frederick  County, 
Virginia,  bound  at  Charlottesville,  Albemarle 
County,  and  sold  from  the  home  of  the  author 
at  Singer’s  Glen  (then  Mountain  Valley),  in 
Rockingham  County.  From  Singer’s  Glen  to 
Winchester  is  sixty  miles;  from  Winchester 
to  Charlottesville,  eighty  miles;  and  from 
Charlottesville  to  Singer’s  Glen,  a little  more 
than  forty  miles;  in  each  case  as  the  bird 
flies.  It  was  much  futher  by  the  wagon  roads 
of  1832.  A consideration  of  these  facts  will 
give  us  an  appreciation  of  the  difficulties 
under  which  Joseph  Funk  began  his  work. 

The  original  title  of  this  book  was  retained 
for  the  first  four  editions,  that  is,  till  1847. 
In  185  L,  when  the  revised  form  of  the  fourth 
edition  came  out.  the  new  title  “HARMONIA 
SACRA”  appeared.  It  was  by  this  new  title 
that  the  book  became  best  known;  and  it  is 
by  that  title  that  thousands  of  men  and  wo- 
men of  the  older  generations  still  know  it. 

By  1860  the  Harmonia  Sacra  had  reached 
the  tenth  edition.  By  the  middle  seventies 
the  final  edition,  the  seventeenth,  had  been 


reached.  The  first  two  were  printed  at  Win- 
chester; the  third  was  printed  and  bound  at 
Harrisonburg,  in  1842;  beginning  with  the 
fourth,  all  the  remaining  editions  were  printed 
and  bound  at  Singer’s  Glen.  The  number  of 
volumes  thus  produced  will  be  indicated 
further  on. 

In  all  the  editions  of  Harmonia  Sacra 
“patent”  or  shaped  notes  are  used:  seven  in 
the  later  editions;  four  in  the  earlier.  The 
four  characters  used  in  the  book  before  me 
are  MI,  the  “master  note”;  FAW,  SOL,  and 
LAW.  On  this  score  Funk  and  his  successors, 
as  well  as  others  who  have  used  patent  notes, 
had  to  meet  a good  deal  of  criticism.  Even 
in  this  edition  of  Harmonia  Sacra  the  author 
deems  it  necessary  to  justify  the  use  of  the 
shaped  characters.  This  justification  he 
makes  in  good  style,  referring  in  the  course 
of  his  remarks  to  Andrew  Adgate,  whose 
sixth  edition  of  “Rudiments  of  Music”  had 
appeared  in  Philadelphia  in  1799;  to  Samuel 
Dyer,  whose  sixth  edition  of  the  “Art  of 
Singing”  hsd  been  printed  at  New  York  in 
1828;  to  the  ^American  Psalmody,”  second 
edition,  published  at  Hartford  in  1830.  Fur- 
ther on  he  speaks  of  having  consulted  “more 
than  a few”  noted  authors  of  vocal  music, 
“both  German  and  English.”  Thus  we  get 
an  idea  of  the  man’s  breadth  of  culture. 

A few  of  the  hymn  tunes  in  this  old  book 
are  still  familiar  friends:  “Old  Hundred,” 
“Pleyel’s  Hymn,”  “Lenox,”  and  perhaps 
“Olney.”  But  the  great  majority  have  gone 
to  join  the  other  great  majorities.  One  of 
the  more  extended  compositions  is  entitled 
“Heavenly  Vision,”  and  covers  a little  more 
than  two  pages.  The  great  climax  of  the 
book,  however,  is  reached  in  the  “Easter 
Anthem.”  This,  too,  covers  somewhat  more 
than  two  pages.  When  a class  could  once 
sing  the  “Easter  Anthem”  through  without 
a break, they  were  adjudged  capable  of  doing 
almost  anything  in  the  line  of  vocal  music. 
It  is  really  a fine  composition,  and  worthy  of 
immortality. 


OUBTLESS  Joseph  Funk  was  brought 
up  to  speak  German,  or  Pennsylvania- 
German;  and  he  must  have  retained 
his  familiarity  with  that  tongue  all  his 
life;  yet  almost  all  his  extant  writings — 
printed  books  and  pamphlets,  manu- 
scripts and  letters — are  in  excellent 
English.  In  1837  he  published  an  English 
translation  that  he  had  made  of  the  Mennonite 
“Confession  of  Faith.”  This  volume,  a 12mo 
of  460  pages,  contained  also  an  extended  in- 
troduction, written  by  himself,  giving  a brief 


sketch  of  Mennonite  history,  with  other 
matter  of  interest.  Some  twenty  years  later 
he  became  involved  in  a religious  discussion 
with  Elder  John  Kline  of  the  Dunker  Church, 
and  wrote  at  least  two  considerable  pamph- 
lets. These,  in  the  original  manuscript,  I 
saw  on  a recent  visit  to  Singer’s  Glen.  All 
these  writings  prove  that  Joseph  Funk  was 
well  read  in  the  Bible  and  kindred  literature. 
If  furture  evidence  that  he  was  a man  of 
broad  culture  were  needed,  it  might  be  found 
in  a list  of  the  books  he  gave  his  daughter, 
Mary,  in  the  year  1837,  when  she  married 
John  Kieffer,  and  journeyed  to  the  far-off 
land  of  Missouri. 

A CATALOUGE  OF  BOOKS  GIVEN  TO  MARY, 
MY  DAUGHTER,  AND  HER  HUSBAND, 
JOHN  KIEFFER. 


1 The  Bible 

$1.37 

1-2 

2 Goldsmiths  Animated  Nature,  4 vol. 

5.00 

3 Rollin’s  Ancient  History,  4 vol. 

4.00 

4 Buck’s  Theological  Dictionary 

1.37 

1-2 

5 Pilgrim’s  Progress 

0.87 

1-2 

6 Young  Christian 

.87 

1-2 

7 Dodridge’s  Rise  & Progress 

.37 

1-2 

8 Baxter’s  Saints  Rest 

.37 

1-2 

9 Young’s  Night  Thoughts 

.50 

FOUR  GENERATIONS. 

Timothy  Funk,  1824-1909,  Edith  R-  Funk  Bowman,  1810-. 
Joseph  R.  Funk,  1855-1911, 

Marguerite  Bowman,  1900-. 


10  Woodridge’s  Geography  & Atlas  1.00 

11  Walker’s  Dictionary  .27  1-2 

12  Hervey’s  Meditations  .50 

13  Pollock’s  Course  of  Time  .50 

14  Pike’s  Guide  for  Young  Disciples  .43 

15  Burders  Village  Sermons  2.00 

16  Watts  Psalms  & Hymn  .75 

17  Gems  of  Sacred  Poetry  .37  1-2 

18  Cowper’s  Poems,  3 vol.  1.00 

19  Wandlende  Seele  1.00 

20  Edwards  on  the  Affections  0.25 

21  Baxter’s  Dying  Thoughts  .12  1-2 

22  Alleine’s  Alarm  .25 

23  Flavel’s  Touchstone  .18  3-4 

24  Bennetts  Letters  to  a Young  Lady 

A Present  to  Maiy 

25  Keeping  the  Heart  by  the  Rev.  John 

Flavel  .18  3-4 

26  Hannah  Moore’s  Private  Devotion  .50 

27  Pike  Persuasives  to  Early  Piety  .37  1-2 

28  Advice  to  a Married  Couple  .25 

29  A New  Testament  .37  1-2 

30  Epitaphs  & Eligies  .25 


The  yellow  old  manuscript,  from  which  I 
have  made  this  copy,  occupies  in  Joseph 
Funk’s  clear,  neat  hand  almost  exactly  the 
same  space  as  my  typewritten  manuscript, 
single  spaced. 

Some  thirty  letters  that  he  wrote  Mrs. 
Kieffer  during  the  ten  years  she  was  in  Mis- 
sourri  are  also  before  me.  They  should  be 
published  in  full,  for  they  are  brimful  of  facts 
that  would  be  of  interest  not  only  to  the 
thousands  of  Funks  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
but  also  to  other  persons  who  may  wish  to  get 
an  intimate  picture  of  long-ago  conditions  in 
Virginia  and  adjacent  States.  For  their  gen- 
eral interest,  and  to  bring  out  more  clearly 
the  character  of  Joseph  Funk  and  the  nature 
of  his  work,  I shall  present  several  quotations 
from  these  letters. 


Rockingham  County,  Va., 
December  24,  1837. 

As  respects  the  music  books,  we  may 

reasonably  infer,  that  it  will  take  some  time  to  intro- 
duce them,  especially  where  others  are  in  the  way,  but 
this  must  not  discourage  us  to  make  exertions,  as  they 
have  went  ahead  of  many  others  in  this  country. 
(Kieffers  had  taken  about  100  of  Funk’s  music  books 
to  Missouri.)  I have  since  you  left  this,  had  a letter 
from  a teacher  of  Music,  about  60  miles  below  Rich- 
mond, for  books,  who  also  solicits  me  to  recommend 
him  an  assistant,  a young  man,  who  understands 
music,  whom,  when  he  has  made  up  his  schools  he  will 
give  $30.00  per  month.  He  wishes  to  introduce  my 
work  generally. 

To  hear  that  your  books  (those  listed  above)  were 


uninjured  brought  to  your  journey’s  end  is  gratifying 
to  me;  I hope  you  will  make  good  use  of  them.  What 
pleasure  it  is  to  a contemplative  mind,  to  read  about 
that  heavenly  country  to  which  we  are  all  travelling, 
and  to  acquaint  ourselves  with  the  privileges  of  its 
inhabitants,  and  their  blissful  abodes!  .... 


May  10,  1838. 

I am  now  sitting  at  my  writing  table, 

where  you  saw  me  sit  hundreds  of  times;  through  the 
window  before  me  I have  a view  of  your  tender 
Mother’s  Grave;  your  Brother  David  planted  thereon 
two  flowery  Almonds,  before  he  left  this,  which  both 
are  now  in  full  bloom 

I will  attend  to  the  business  which  you  request  me 
to  do  concerning  Jonas  Beam.  Your  brother  Samuel 
is  summoned  to  attend  at  court  as  a witness  in  the 
case,  but  from  what  he  tells  me  his  evidence  will  be 
more  against  the  opposite  party  than  you. 

Concerning  a paper,  I hardly  know  which  to  forward 
you,  the  “Winchester  Virginian,”  now  edited  by  L. 
Eichelberger,  or  the  “Rockingham  Register.”  But  as 
the  Rockingham  Register  is  printed  immediately  in 
the  neighborhood  where  you  resided  and  in  your  native 
place,  it  will  probably  prove  the  most  interesting:  I 
will  therefore  send  it  by  this  mail,  and  if  you  should 
prefer  the  Winchester  Virginian  you  may  let  me  know 
in  your  next  and  I will  send  it  on  to  you.  Mr.  Robin- 
son is  broke  up  and  has  left  Winchester;  and  Mr. 
Hollis  is  now  printing  for  me.  I purchased  the  font  of 
Music  types  with  the  letter  types  used  for  the  printing 
of  my  work,  with  which  he  is  now  printing  my  Ap- 
pendage, which  will  contain  32  pages  splendidly  exe- 
cuted and  fraught  with  very  interesting  Music. 

You  will  endeavor  to  have  my  musical  work  intro- 
duced into  the  different  parts  of  your  state,  which  will 
also  tend  to  your  own  interest,  as  I intend  to  allow 
you  a good  and  generous  commission  for  all  you  dispose 
of 


September  12,  1838. 


I wish  you  would  not  be  discouraged 

about  the  sale  of  Music  books,  for,  notwithstanding 
Mr.  Seats  opposition,  I think  they  will  work  their  way 
through.  This  summer,  a very  respectable  Methodist 
preacher,  who  got  some  of  my  books  in  Richmond,  Va., 
has  ordered  100  copies  to  be  sent  on  to  him.  I sent 
him  the  books;  and  he  is  now  laying  aside  the  Metho- 
dist Harmonist  and  giving  mine  a general  introduction 
into  his  schools.  This  is  in  North  Carolina 


September  14,  1839. 

May  the  Lord  grant  his  blessings,  that 

all  my  chddren  may,  as  they  grow  up,  become  useful 
members  of  both  Church  and  State — a pattern  of  meek- 
ness and  piety — and  an  ornament  to  society.  Thus  it 
is  my  aim  to  use  my  feeble  effort,  with  His  aid,  to 
bring  them  up Beware  of  bad  so- 

ciety— bad  company— shun  them,  my  dear  children, 
unless  it  be  for  the  purpose  of  making  them  better.  . 


Your  brother  Joseph  has  prevailed  on  me  to  suffer 
him  to  get  a violin,  by  promising  to  devote  it  to  sacred 
music.  He  has  progressed  rapidly  learning  to  play  on 
it,  so  that  he  can  now  play  a good  many  tunes  pretty 
well.  He  sometimes  plays  the  violin,  and  your  brother 
Timothy  the  Flute,  which  in  conjunction  produce  sweet 
sounds,  which  are  highly  gratifying  and  cheering. 
May  it  have  a tendency  to  animate“us  to  press  forward 
to  that  world  above  to  join  the  company  there  who  are 
harping  on  their  harps  and  singing  hallelujahs  to  God 
and  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever. 

Your  Sister  Hannah  has  learned  flowering  and  paint- 
ing and  is  anxiously  waiting  for  you  to  pay  your  visit 
to  us,  so  that  she  may  then  learn  you  the  same  also. 

The  second  paragraph  above  is  of  special 
interest  in  several  connections.  For  one 
thing,  it  shows  how  keen  and  lasting  was  the 
sense  of  filial  duty  in  the  Funk  home.  Joseph, 
when  his  father  “suffered”  him  to  get  a vio- 
lin, was  twenty-three  years  old.  It  shows 
also  the  habitual  disposition  of  Joseph  Funk, 
Sr.,  to  seek  the  spiritual  values  in  the  ordinary 
things  of  life.  In  the  third  place,  it  shows 
that  Mr.  Funk  was  much  more  liberal  and 
progressive  than  many  of  his  coreligionists. 
Few  of  them,  we  suspect,  would  have  felt 
justified  in  suffering  their  sons  to  have  violins 
and  flutes  upon  any  condition.  Apropos,  we 
have  this  little  story.  Some  of  the  prominent 
brethren — possibly  a bishop  or  two  among 
them — came  one  day  in  their  journey  to 
Brother  Funk’s  hospitable  home.  It  was 
evidently  after  both  Joseph  and  Timothy, 
and  perhaps  another  son  or  two,  had  learned 
to  play  pretty  we  1 on  their  respective  instru- 
ments; for  Father  Funk,  to  entertain  his 
guests,  and  may  be  to  encourage  the  diligence 
of  his  sons  as  musicians,  gave  a modest  little 
concert  of  sacred  music  in  the  living  room. 
When  the  pause  of  silence  came — the  proper 
time  for  expressions  of  appreciation  and 
gratitude— imagine  his  surprise  when  the 
brethren  began  to  take  him  sharply  to  task — 
to  haul  him  over  the  coals,  if  I may  use  a 
colloquial  phrase  common  in  Northern  Vir- 
ginia— for  his  vain  worldliness  in  permitting 
and  even  encouraging  the  use  of  instruments 
of  music  in  hi3  house! 

In  a letter  to  Mrs.  Kieffer,  dated  January 
11,  1840,  Joseph  Funk  makes  use  of  the  only 
German  sentence  that  I have  thus  far  found 
in  any  of  hi3  letters  or  manuscripts.  He  is 
congratulating  his  daughter  and  her  husband 
upon  the  fact  that  they  had  secured  an  80- 
acre  tract  of  land  for  their  own.  He  con- 
cludes the  paragraph  thus:  “I  am  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  fact,  that  an  own  home  is  a 
great  blessing.  The  German  proverb  is:  ‘Eine 
eigene  Herd  ist  gold  werth’.” 


February  20,  1840. 

This  moment,  as  I was  sitting  at  my 

table,  writing  this  letter  by  candlelight,  your  brothers, 
David  and  Timothy,  played  the  instruments  so  delight- 
ful that  I had  to  stop  a while  and  go  to  the  apartment 
where  they  were  playing — David  on  the  violin,  and 
Timothy  on  the  flute — and  hear  them  play.  How 
charming!  How  heaven  inspiring!  is  the  sound  of 
sacred  music  on  these  instruments!  What  pity  that 
they  ever  should  be  preverted  and  abused  to  the  vilest 
purposes! 

The  present  writer’s  mother  was  many 
years  ago  a member  of  Joseph  Funk’s  singing 
classes  at  Woodlawn,  Shenandoah  County, 
Virginia,  and  perhaps  at  other  places  in  the 
vicinity;  and  I remember  distinctly  hearing 
her  remark  upon  the  ecstatic  enthusiasm  that 
would  seize  upon  the  old  master  when  his 
class  would  sing  well.  Evidently,  from  the 
above  quotation,  the  violin,  flute,  and  other 
instruments  were  capable  of  affecting  him 
similarly.  I have  introduced  this  quotation 
also  for  ihe  purpose  of  illustrating  the  minute 
and  exact  care  with  which  he  detailed  many 
of  the  home  happenings  to  his  daughter, 
through  the  medium  of  occasional  letters. 
Missouri  in  those  days  was  weeks  distant 
from  Virginia  for  either  the  emigrant  or  the 
postman.  It  took  the  emigrant  wagon  seven 
or  eight  weeks  to  make  the  journey,  and  the 
mail  carriers  about  half  that  time.  We  need 
not  wonder,  therefore,  at  the  solicitude  con- 
tinually expressed  in  this  father’s  letters  for 
the  welfare  of  his  daughter  and  her  family, 
nor  be  surprised  that  he  should  employ  his 
best  efforts  to  tell  her  of  himself,  her  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  their  interests.  He  also 
doubtless  felt  that  there  was  a depth  and 
power  of  response  in  her  nature  that  would 
answer  the  best  in  his  own.  Later  she  spoke 
out  to  the  world  in  the  poetry  of  her  son;  but 
from  her  childhood,  we  may  well  believe,  she 
gave  expression  to  many  a thought  and  emo- 
tion that  stirred  a kindred  chord  in  her 
father’s  heart.  Music  and  poetry,  with  the 
things  that  are  akin  to  both,  must  have  been  a 
common  source  of  joy  to  father  and  daughter. 

May  14,  1841. 

I would  farther  inform  you,  that  be 

sides  our  farming  work,  we  are  busily  engaged  in 
building  a house  for  a printing  office.  It  is  high  time 
that  we  do  something  towards  getting  a third  edition 
out.  I had  a letter  from  Richmond  this  spring,  for  300 
books  and  could  send  them  but  106;  however,  I suppose 
I can  gather  some  few  from  other  agents  to  send  on  to 
them.  Since  then  I had  a letter  from  Mr.  Moorehead, 
to  whom  I ordered  Mr.  Bell,  my  Agent  at  Winchester 
to  send  what  he  could  spare.  And  a few  days  ago  I 


had  a letter  from  Mason  County,  Va.,  on  the  Ohio 
river,  for  books.  If  I now  had  those  books  in  your 
State  I could  soon  dispose  of  them.  We  must  use 
every  means  in  our  power  to  get  a third  edition  out  as 
early  as  practicable.  I sent  to  Baltimore  with  Mr. 
Shacklet,  for  to  see  about  a printing  press  and  paper. 
The  types  we  have  ready  to  commence  with  at -any 
time. 

From  the  above,  as  well  as  from  a letter 
written  March  22,  1841,  it  is  evident  that  Mr. 
Funk  and  his  sons  were  preparing  to  print 
this  third  edition  of  “Genuine  Church  Music” 
themselves  at  Singer’s  Glen 

The  excerpts  following  will  show  what 
changes  were  made  in  their  plans.  The 
house  in  building,  referred  to  above,  was 
likely  one  of  the  additions  to  the  old  loom 
house,  which  have  been  removed  in  recent 
years. 

October  9,  1841. 

In  my  last  letter,  I told  you,  that  I had  ap- 
pointed a day  to  go  to  Martinsburg  to  purchase  a 
printing  press.  But  as  the  demand  for  my  music  be- 
came so  urgent,  I found  that  we  could  not  possibly  get 
ready  to  have  an  edition  out  in  time  to  supply  the  de- 
mands, and  consequently  hinted  to  Wartman  & Way 
(Harrisonburg  printers)  that  if  they  did  the  job  for 
me  on  accommodating  terms,  I might  be  induced  to  let 
them  have  my  types  toward  part  pay,  and  give  them 
the  job  to  print;  the  which  they  were  very  anxious  to 
do,  and  we  soon  came  to  an  agreement.  They  print 
the  edition,  for  my  music  type  and  $100.  And  are 
bound  to  bring  it  out  in  neat  and  elegant  style;  which 
is  much  cheaper  than  any  of  the  former  editions. 
Moreover,  your  brother  Joseph  has  the  privilege  of 
working  with  them,  in  the  effice,  while  it  is  in  print, 
and  learn  the  printing  business.  We  are  still  going  on 
to  build  a house  for  a printing  office,  and  bindery,  so 
that,  when  a fourth  edition  is  wanted,  (which  in  all 
probability  will  not  be  long)  we  may  be  ready. 

Joseph  Funk  was  a man  of  business  as  well 
as  a devotee  to  music  and  poetry. 

April  4,  1842. 

As  I expect  to  see  you  in  a few  montns,  I 

shall  be  brief  in  my  letters.  However  I think  it  ad- 
visable to  put  you  in  mind  to  be  careful  when  you  go 
on  your  journey,  not  to  expose  yourself  to  the  perils 
of  water,  or  inclemency  of  the  weather;  but  sooner  let 
your  journey  be  a few  days  longer,  to  avoid  danger. 

I traded  books,  (The  Confession  of  Faith)  for  Cop- 
per Kettles,  two  of  which  I intend  for  you,  when  you 
come  to  see  us,  a small  one  and  a large  one:  they  are 
very  good  kettles,  and  will  not  be  heavy  carriage  for 
you  to  take  with  you  when  you  return  to  the  Missouri 
again.  I told  you  before,  if  I mistake  not,  that  your 
Brother  Benjamin  will  try  to  be  ready  for  the  thimble 
when  you  come. 

The  proposed  visit  of  Mrs.  Kieffer  and  her 
family  to  Virginia  was  delayed — was  not 
made  in  the  summer  of  1842,  as  contemplated. 

October  2,  1842. 

Now  concerning  the  music  books  I would 

just  say  that  you  will  do  with  them  the  best  you  can. 
As  they  unfortunately  fell  in  the  river,  of  course  they 


are  not  worth  as  much  as  if  that  had  not  happened 
them.  If  you  think  you  are  safe  in  allowing  me  $100 
for  all  the  music  books  which  Jonathan  left  in  the 
Missouri  (147),  and  those  which  you  took  (103),  I am 
willing  so  take  it,  and  let  it  stand  against  you  as  so 
much  of  your  inheritance  of  my  estate.  If  you  think 
proper  to  take  them  at  this  offer  you  will  inform  me 
in  your  mxt  letter.  The  third  edition  of  music  is  now 
out,  and  it  is  with  difficulty  that  I can  get  them  bound 
fast  enough  to  meet  the  demands. 

These  books  sold  regularly  at  $1  each;  occa- 
sionally at  $1.25,  when  there  was  a scarcity 
of  supply. 

February  28,  1843. 

I was  very  much  pleased  to  hear  that  John 

(Kieffer)  has  undertaken  to  teach  music.  I know  it  is 
calculated  to  instil  into  the  mind,  sentiments  of  relig- 
ion and  refined  feeling.  May  the  practice  of  it  be 
profitable  to  you,  my  dear  children,  both  in  this  life 
and  that  which  is  to  come.  Persevere  in  it,  and  when 
your  Brother  Joseph  comes  to  you,  your  united  efforts 
in  teaching  music,  may  perhaps  be  profitable  to  you 

and  the  country  you  live  in My  third  edition 

is  now  selling  fast,  so  that  I doubt  not  it  will  be  neces- 
sary for  us  to  commence  a fourth  edition,  if  spared, 
by  next  fall.  In  order  to  do  the  most  of  the  work 
within  ourselves— your  brother  Timothy  is  now  in  Har- 
risonburg learning  the  Bookbinding  business. 

Mav  5,  1843. 

After  a long  and  cold  winter,  we  are  now 

enjoying  beautiful  spring  weather,  vegetation  comes 
out  very  luxuriant,  and  seems  to  promise  a fruitful 
summer.  Our  cherry  trees  are  in  full  bloom,  and  the 
apple  trees  are  just  beginning  to  open  — there  is  a 
prospect  for  a rich  crop  of  fruit.  I must  not  forget  to 
tell  you  that  the  Flowery  Almond,  on  Your  Mother’s 
grave,  is  again  opening  its  beautiful  flowers. 

It  appears  that  Mrs.  Kieffer  and  her  family 
paid  her  father  the  long-talked-of  visit  in  the 
spring  of  1844.  On  their  return  they  took  a 
steamboat  on  the  Great  Kanawha  River,  at 
or  near  Charleston,  went  down  the  Kanawha 
to  its  mouth,  down  the  Ohio  to  the  Missis- 
sippi to  St.  Louis;  then,  presumably,  on  the 
Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and 
thence  up  the  Missouri  to  Saline  county  of 
the  young  State.  The  steamboat  on  which 
they  took  passage  at  Charleston  was  the 
Utican,  and  the  charge  for  taking  the  Kieffer 
family  and  their  effects  from  that  point  to 
St.  Louis  was  $15.00.  The  Kieffers  were  ac- 
companied to  Charleston  by  Mrs.  Kieffer’s 
father.  Joseph  Funk,  and  her  brother  Timo- 
thy. Returning  to  Rockingham,  the  two 
men  were  on  the  road  eight  days.  On  July 
19,  1844,  some  time  after  their  return,  the 
father  wrote  his  daughter  a letter  from  which 
I quote  the  following: 

Our  journey  was  gratifying,  in  a high  degree,  to 
me  and  to  Timothy  both.  And  I suppose  it  will  be 
matter  of  wonder  to  you  if  I tell  you  that  after  I (had) 
seen  the  conveniences  of  travelling  in  a Steamboat,  I 
came  to  a firm  conclusion  to  pay  you  a visit,  if  the 
Lord  spare  me  yet  a few  years,  and  give  me  health 
and  strength  to  accomplish  the  journey:  especially  so, 


as  more  of  my  children  are  going  to  settle  in  your 
country.  I am  now  making  arrangement  to  go  to 
Baltimore  to  have  my  Scale  printed,  which  I want  to 
accomplish  ere  Joseph  starts  tor  the  Missouri. 


Solomon  Funk,  1825-1880. 

Spotsylvania  County,  Virginia, 
Sunday  Morning,  Novr.  23,  1845. 

You  are  aware  of  the  fact  that  myself  and 

your  brother  Timothy  are  teaching  Music,  in  the 
above  county,  about  100  miles  from  home.  And  as  we 
have  eight  singing  schools  on  hand,  and  sing  every 
day,  except  some  Sundays,  I have  but  little  time  to 
write  else  I should  have  written  you  ere  this. 

By  the  goodness  of  God  I have  enjoyed  more  health 
since  I have  engaged  riding  about,  with  your  brother 
Timothy,  teaching  music,  than  I did,  when  in  a seden- 
tary state,  I taught  school  or  read  my  books  and 
wrote.  And  as  I mean  to  devote  the  remnant  of  my 
days,  exclusively,  to  the  teaching  of  Music,  I have,  in 
order  to  be  disencumbered  from  other  cares  of  a secu- 
lar kind,  sold  my  place  to  your  brothers  David  and 
Samuel  for  $4001),  reserving  a room  and  homestead  for 
me.  About  five  weeks  ago  we  were  at  home,  attend- 
ing the  sale  of  my  property,  which  was  on  the  15  & 16 
days  of  October  by  public  sale.  I sold  off  all  my  per- 
sonal property  excepting  a bed  & bed  clothes,  my 
books  & secretary  Table,  chairs  one  stone  & some 
other  articles.  The  sale  bill  amounted  to  upwards  of 
§1000.  All  your  sisters  and  brothers  were  at  my  sale, 
& I could  have  wished  that  you  also  were  with  us!  . . 

Myself  and  Timothy  will  close  our  schools  in  this 
place,  if  nothing  prevents,  by  the  12  or  15  of  next 
month.  They  will  be  worth  to  us  about  $200  nett. 
Teaching  music,  to  a competent  teacher,  is,  in  this 
place,  pretty  good  business.  We  are  solicited  to 
teach  this  side  the  mountain  (east  of  the  Blue  Ridge) 
next  summer,  when  we  expect  to  have  larger  schools 
than  we  had  this  summer. 

Culpeper  County  Virginia, 
Tuesday,  October  13,  1846. 

I believe  I informed  you  heretofore,  that  I, 

and  your  brother  Timothy,  have  been  engaged  for 
some  time,  in  teaching  music  in  these  parts;  (Old  Vir- 
ginia) but  as  Timothy  is  the  Bookbinder,  he  had  to 
stay  at  home,  and  bind  books,  as  there  is  a strong  de- 


mand for  the  books  at  present.  We  will  soon  have  to 
engage  in  making  a fourth  edition.  Solomon  is  now 
qualified  to  print  the  books;  and  Timothy  binds  them 
very  neatly,  and  thus  our  book  business  may  yet  be- 
come profitable  to  us 

So  soon  as  we  return  home  and  can  get  ready  I in- 
tend going  to  Philadelphia,  accompanied  by  one  of 
your  brothers — Timothy  or  Solomon— to  have  my  Mus- 
ical Scale  or  map  printed,  and  to  see  about  procuring 
materials  to  print  a fourth  edition  of  our  music.  . . . 

This  trip  to  Philadelphia  was  made  by  Jo- 
seph Funk  and  his  son  Solomon  the  latter 
part  of  January  and  the  first  part  of  Febru- 
ary, 1847.  In  1845  or  1846,  Joseph  Funk,  Jr., 
instead  of  going  to  Missouri,  went  to  Hamp- 
shire county,  Virginia,  buying  land  and  set- 
tling on  it.  His  postoffice  was  North  River 
Mills.  He  was  thirty  miles  northwest  of 
Winchester  and  ten  or  twelve  miles  east  of 
Romney.  To  his  home  Joseph  Funk,  Sr.,  and 
Solomon  went  in  1847,  to  take  the  train  for 
Philadelphia.  They  rode  horseback  from 
their  home  at  Mountain  Valley  (Singer’s 
Glen)  in  Rockingham  County,  to  young  Joseph 
Funk’s  home  in  Hampshire  County,  a dis- 
tance of  at  least  60  miles,  air  line;  and  then 
they  were  still  ten  or  fifteen  miles  from  the 
railroad.  They  boarded  the  Baltimore  & Ohio 
train  about  14  miles  below  Cumberland,  and 
young  Joseph  Funk  took  their  horses  back  to 
his  home  and  kept  them  against  the  return. 

I now  give  extracts  from  a letter  that  Jo- 
seph Funk  wrote  to  Mrs.  Kieffer,  March  26, 
1847. 

Rockingham  County,  Va.,  March  26,  1847. 
I have  had  more  than  a usual  share  of  bus- 
iness to  attend  to  the  past  winter;  as  I and  your  bro- 
ther Solomon  have  been  to  Philadelphia,  to  get  my 
Map  on  Music  printed;  also,  to  procure  type  and  print- 
ing materials  to  print  a fourth  edition  of  our  music. 
We  succeeded  in  both  cases;  but  our  musical  Map  we 
had  to  get  Lithographed  or  engraved,  as  it  could  not 
well  be  printed  typographically;  neither  had  they  a 
press,  in  Philadeiphia,  large  enough  to  print  it.  It  is 
Lithographed  on  three  Stones,  two  for  the  Map,  and  a 
third  for  the  Moving  Scale.  It  is  handsomely  done, 
and  will  look  splendid  by  the  time  it  is  mounted  and 
ready  for  sale.  Its  usefulness,  I doubt  not,  will  rec- 
ommend itself  to  the  public,  and  thus,  by  the  blessing 
of  God— as  it  is  intended  to  be  used  in  singing  His 
praises — it  may  also  be  a means  of  emolument  to  me; 
and  a compensation  for  time  and  money  spent  in  get- 
ting it  out:  it  will  however  be  a month  or  two  from 
this  before  it  will  be  fairly  ready  for  sale.  Your  Bro- 
ther Solomon  is  now  engaged  in  setting  up  type  for 
the  music;  and  also  for  a Pamphlet  which  is  to  accom- 
pany the  Musical  Map,  to  give  instruction  how  it  is  to 
be  used.  Our  printing  press,  which  I bought  in  Rich- 
mond, has  not  yet  arrived,  but  we  are  looking  for  it 
every  day— thus  we  will,  gradually,  get  our  printing 
establishment  erected,  ready  to  commence  printing: 
and  it  is  high  time  we  should  commence,  for  our  third 
edition  is  nearly  sold  out  . . ...  . Your  brother  John 
has  been  working  at  home  this  winter  in  the  shop  at 
his  trade,  and  is  yet.  And  before  he  leaves  he  has 
some  work  to  do  for  me,  which  is  to  cover  the  Loom 
or  Spring  house,  and  build  a small  end  to  the  Loom 


house  part,  as  we  intend  to  convert  it  to  a printing 
establishment  (and)  put  up  the  loom  in  the  kitchen: 

Your  Brother  Benjamin  is  now  going  to 

school,  where  he  is  learning  Latin  Grammar;  he  seems 
to  be  very  studious  and  making  good  progress  in  his 
studies,  and  has  improved  in  the  different  branches  of 
learning  very  much.  I judge  he  will  turn  his  atten- 
tion principally  to  Medicine:  however  in  a month  or 
two  he  will  have  (to)  aid  Solomon  in  the  printing 
office  till  he  gets  through  with  the  fourth  edition.  . . . 

In  a letter  that  Solomon  Funk  wrote  Janu- 
ary 29,  1847,  at  Philadelphia,  to  his  brothers 
John,  Timothy,  and  Benjamin  at  home,  I find 
the  following: 

We  found  things  quite  different  in  regard  to  print- 
ing to  what  we  expected.  Instead  of  having  the  map 
printed  in  the  ordinary  way,  we  find  that  it  has  to  be 
engraved  on  Stone  & printed  from  that,  as  are  all 
Maps.  The  engraving  process  is  much  more  simple, 
however,  than  you  would  imagine.  The  engraving 

will  cost  $65,  & printing  $8  per  hundred We 

have  been  looking  for  a printing  press,  but  as  yet  have 
made  no  purchase.  They  have  been  offered  to  us  for 

$140 Our  traveling  expenses  (to  Phila.)  have 

been  29  dollars;  & our  city  expenses  will  be  about  $12. 

From  Solomon’s  letter  we  also  learn  that 
he  and  his  father  stopped  in  Philadelphia  at 
a private  house,  that  of  Mr  Wm.  Hopkins. 

It  is  evident  from  Joseph  Funk’s  letters 
and  memoranda  books  that  he  and  his  sons 
got  most  of  their  supplies  for  their  print  shop 
and  bindery,  at  least  early  in  their  business, 
from  Philadelphia.  There  are  numerous  en- 
tries in  regard  to  the  purchase  of  types, 
paper,  paste-boards,  and  leather  in  the  far- 
off  City  of  Brotherly  Love.  They  used 
leather — usually  sheepskin— in  binding  most 
of  the  books  they  sent  out.  The  music  books 
had  leather  only  on  the  backs  and  corners: 
but  all  the  other  volumes  I have  seen  from 
their  bindery  are  bound  in  full  sheep.  There 
was  a paper  mill  about  twentv  miles  south- 
west of  Mountain  Valley,  on  Mossy  < reek  in 
Augusta  County;  and  I find  an  entry  in  Jo- 
seph Funk’s  little  note  book,  under  date  of 
November  1857,  that  seems  to  refer  to  a pur- 
chase of  paper  from  the  proprietors  of  that 
mill— Sheets,  Miller  & Co. 

Joseph  Funk  likely  made  a trip  to  Richmond 
soon  after  his  return  from  Philadelphia,  since 
he  speaks  of  having  purchased  his  printing 
press  in  Richmond.  A large  screw  for  the 
book  press  was  obtained  in  Lynchburg.  It 
was  doubtless  the  sort  of  screw  that  was  com- 
monly used  at  Lynchburg  and  other  market 
towns  of  Southern  Virginia  in  the  tobacco 
presses.  This  screw  seems  to  have  been 
brought  by  water  from  Lynchburg  to  Scotts- 
ville,  the  latter  place  being  on  the  James  River 
in  the  southern  corner  of  Albemarle  County; 
and  from  Scottsville  it  was  hauled  in  a wagon 
the  remaining  seventy  or  eighty  miles,  across 


Piedmont  Virginia,  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  the 
Valley,  to  Singer’s  Glen.  The  screw  and  the 
nut  which  it  fits,  cost  $25.00.  I use  the 
present  tense;  for  this  old  screw  may  still  be 
found  at  Singer’s  Glen.  Only  a few  days  ago 
I saw  it  there,  forming  a part  of  the  old  book 
press  that  Father  Funk’s  son  John  made 
more  than  sixty  years  ago.  That  skilled 
workman  himself,  now  more  than 
ninety  years  old,  walked  briskly  with 
me  around  the  house  and  showed  me  the 
massive  oak  frame,  equipped  with  the  iron 
screw,  standing  under  an  apple  tree,  where 
it  was  last  used  to  make  cider. 

The  music  map  or  scale,  frequently  re- 
ferred to  above,  was  a large  chart,  with  a mov- 
able zone,  used  to  illustrate  and  explain  the 
transposition  of  the  musical  scales.  In  size  it 
was  about  35  by  55  inches.  On  my  recent 
visit  to  Singer’s  Glen,  a number  of  these 
charts  were  brought  forth  from  some  secure 
resting  place  by  Mr.  Wm.  C.  Funk,  one  of 
the  accomplished  grandsons  of  Father  Funk. 
I value  very  highly  the  copy  of  this  chart  pre- 
sented to  me.  I am  only  sorry  that  it  did 
not  prove  as  profitable  to  the  publisher  as  he 
had  fondly  hoped. 

Now  a few  more  extracts  from  the  letters  of 
Father  Funk  to  his  daughter  in  Missouri. 

Rockingham  County,  Virginia, 
July  17,  1847. 

Solomon  & Benjaman  are  printing  a fourth 

ed  tion  of  our  music,  and  are  bringing  it  out  in  the  most 
splendid  and  elegant  manner,  far  superior  to  any  of  the 
former  editions.  We  have  converted  the  loomhouse  to 
a Printing  office,  and  built  a shed  to  the  porch  end  for 
the  Bindery,  and  we  are  handsomely  fixed.  Myself 
and  Timothy  have  seven  singing  schools  on  hand.  We 
have,  at  this  time,  a short  vacation,  but  next  Tuesday 
if  the  Lord  will,  we  will  have  to  take  charge  of  our 
schools  again ; 

October  24  1847. 

A few  days  ago  myself  and  your  brother 

Timothy  returned  home  from  our  singing  schools  east 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  having  closed  them  all  for  this  sea- 
son. We  had  seven  schools  and  did  a pretty  good  busi- 
ness:   Solomon  and  Benjamin  were  wanted  at 

home  to  print  the  fourth  edition  of  our  music,  (with 
which  we  are  now  nearly  through,  with  the  printing; 
and  now  Timothy  and  Benjaman  must  be  busily  em- 
ployed binding  them.) We  have  now 

orders  for  books  which  to  supply,  will  take  at  least 
500  copies.  Moreover  John  will  have  to  be  engaged, 
for  sometime,  in  mounting  the  Musical  Maps.  And 
so  soon  as  a quantity  of  books  are  bound,  and  maps 
mounted,  some  of  your  brothers  will  have  to  take  them 
out  to  their  destined  places  to  sell. 

Jan.  15,  1848. 

We  have  printed  our  fourth  edition  of  music 

and  bound  about  500  copies  the  most  of  which  are  now 
out  among  our  agents.  We  also  have  printed  a Key 
to  the  Map  or  General  Scale  of  the  Scales  of  Music; 
and  your  brother  Solomon  is  now  engaged  in  printing 
a book  for  a Gentleman  in  Giles  County,  which  will  be 


a profitable  job  for  us.  Your  brother  Timothy  is  still 
engaged  in  binding,  and  your  brother  Benjamin  is  go- 
ing to  school  at  present  studying  the  Latin  language, 
but  he  will  in  afew  weekshave  to  help  Solomon  to  print. 
Your  brother  John  is  engaged  in  Mounting  and  Varn- 
ishing the  Musical  Maps.  After  we  get  through  with 
printing  the  job  now  on  hand  we  intend  printing  Sturms 
Reflections — by  subscription  for  which  we  are  now  tak- 
ing Subscribers  names;  in  all  probability  we  will  get  a 
large  number  of  Subscribers. 

It  appears  from  the  foregoing  statements, 
under  the  respective  dates,  that,  most  of  the 
year  1847  was  occupied  with  setting  up  the 
equipment  and  getting  out  the  fourth  edition 
of  “Genuine  Church  Music.”  Beginning 
with  this  edition,  the  remaining  editions  of 
the  book,  up  to  and  including  the  final  17th 


Joseph  Funk  and  his  sons  taught  singing  clas- 
ses in  no  less  than  ten  counties  of  Virginia, 
outside  Rockingham,  namely:  Shenandoah, 
Augusta,  Spotsylvania,  Greene,  Madison, 
Orange,  Culpeper,  Page,  Nelson  and  Hamp- 
shire. This  was  by  the  year  1858.  Possibly 
they  had  classes  in  Albemarle.  In  a letter 
written  by  Father  Funk  from  Spotsylvania 
County  to  his  children  at  home  under  date  of 
August  23,  1815,  I find  the  following  passage: 

I have  been  solicited  by  a Student  from  the  Univers- 
ity at  Charlottesville,  to  come  here  to  teach.  He  was 
5 days  at  our  schools,  and  acknowleged  that  the  singing 
was  superior  to  that  at  the  university;  it  is  likely,  if 
the  Lord  will,  that  we  will  take  a school  there  next 
summer others  in  its  vicinity ; this  however  I do 


Grave  of  Joseph  Funk,  Just  to  the  Right  of  the  Large  Cedar. 


edition,  were  printed  and  bound  in  the  little 
log  printery  and  annexes  at  Mountain  Valley, 
now  Singer’s  Glen.  The  first  edition,  printed 
at  Winchester,  was  4000  volumes;  the  second 
edition  printed  at  the  same  place,  was  8000 
volumes;  the  third  edition,  printed  and  bound 
at  Harrisonburg,  was  12,000  volumes.  The 
editions  brought  out  at  Singer’s  Glen,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  Mr.  John  Funk,  were 
of  4000  and  5000  volumes  each.  Basing  a 
calculation,  therefore,  upon  the  minimum 
numbers,  the  total  number  of  copies  of  the 
single  book,  in  its  seventeen  editions,  must 
have  aggregated  no  less  than  80,000. 

I find,  from  letters  and  other  records,  that 


not  wish  to  b« or  blazed as  it  might 

savor  boasting  which  is  not  expedient  and  of  which 
I disapprove. 

A few  words  in  the  above  are  worn  off  of 
the  manuscript  but  their  sense  can  easily  be 
supplied  from  the  context. 

At  one  other  place  I found  some  intimation 
that  some  teaching  might  have  been  done  at 
Charlottesville.  Whether  it  is  actually  so  or 
not,  I have  not  thus  far  been  able  to  determine. 
Charlottesville,  the  seat  of  the  State  Univers- 
ity, is  in  Albemarle  County. 

Funk’s  books  were  sold,  as  I find  by  the 
records,  not  only  in  the  counties  named  above 


where  classes  were  conducted  but  also  in  the 
following: 

Greenbrier,  Randolph,  Monroe,  Preston, 
Boone,  Bath,  Upshur,  Floyd,  Mercer,  King 
George.  Barbour,  Harrison,  Lewis,  Bucking- 
ham, Washington,  Raleigh,  Frederick,  Fair- 
fax, Botetourt,  Appomattox,  Louisa,  and  Po- 
cahontas; several  of  these  now  being  in  West 
Virginia;  in  the  following  cities  and  towns  of 
importance: 

Richmond,  Lynchburg,  Lexington,  Chris- 
tiansburg,  Lewisburg,  and  in  Columbus,  Ohio, 
and  in  the  following  States,  outside  of  Vir- 
ginia: 

Georgia,  Illinois,  Ohio,  Maryland,  North 
Carolina,  Indiana,  Pennsylvania,  Iowa, 
Missouri,  and  Canada  West. 

All  this  by  1858. 

Apparently,  the  best  individual  buyer  of  the 
Funk  music  from  1856  to  1858  was  Charles 


Myers,  of  New  Hope,  Va.  The  second  edi- 
tion of  the  now  famous  Kercheval’s  History  of 
the  Valley  of  Virginia  was  printed  about  1850, 
at  Woodstock;  and  I am  imformed  that  these 
books  were  bound  at  Mountain  Valley.  On 
January  6,  1857,  Joseph  Funk  made  an  entry 
in  his  little  book  to  the  effect  that  he  had 
written  “to  Revd.  Joseph  A.  Seiss  No.  120 
German  St.,  Near  Green,  Baltimore,  Md.,  & 
sent  him  proof  sheet  &c.  ” They  must  have 
been  doing  printing  for  Dr.  Seiss.  Later 
in  1857  the  Funks  seem  to  have  printed  3000 
copies  of  some  book  for  Geo.  Hendrickson,  of 
Midway,  Craig  County,  Virginia,  for  which 
they  were  to  receive  $800.00.  And  so  on. 
Enough  examples  have  been  given  to  show 
the  rapid  development  and  wide  scope  of  their 
book  publishing  and  book  binding  business. 

In  July  1859  Joseph  Funk  and  Sons  began 
the  publication  of  a periodical.  It  was  a 16- 


THE  SOUTHERN 


The  original  head  piece  of  Joseph  Funk’s  music  journal,  the  first  published  south  of  the 
Mason  & Dixon  line,  in  the  years  1859-60.  Discontinued  on  account  of  the  civil  war.  This 
journal  was  the  forerunner  of  THE  MUSICAL  MILLION. 


Beazley,  of  Crawfordville,  Taliaferro  County, 
Georgia. 

It  will  be  observed  that  Joseph  Funk  and 
his  sons  no  sooner  had  their  establishment 
equipped  for  printing  and  binding  books  than 
they  also  b°gan  to  print  and  bind  other  books. 
The  book  that  was  being  printed  for  the 
gentleman  of  Giles  County,  in  January  1848, 
is  mentioned  above  in  the  extract  from  one 
of  the  letters,  as  is  also  the  project  for  get- 
ting out  Sturm’s  Reflections.  This  project 
was  carried  successfully  to  completion,  for  I 
have  before  me  one  of  the  volumes,  an  octavo 
of  490  pages,  printed  in  1848.  In  1849  the 
Funks  bound  a 16mo  volume  of  476  pages, 
printed  in  Harrisonburg  by  J.  H.  Wartman 
& Brothers,  entitled  “Sketches  on  a Tour 
Through  the  Northern  and  Eastern  States, 
The  Canadas  and  Novia  Scotia,”  by  J.  C. 


page  monthly  magazine,  entitled,  “The  South- 
ern Musical  Advocate  and  Singers  Friend.” 
In  a little  while  the  subscribers  to  the  Advo- 
cate were  numbered  by  the  hundreds,  as  one 
may  see  by  the  printed  lists  of  names  in  the 
successive  issues;  and  were  to  be  found  in  all 
parts  of  the  surrounding  country. 

Twenty-one  issues  of  this  magazine  were 
printed,  the  last  appearing  in  March  1861; 
then  the  war  came,  and  for  awhile  destruction 
and  chaos.  The  publication  of  the  Advocate 
was  resumed  in  1867,  and  continued  for  a 
year  or  more.  It  was  the  precursor  of  the 
Musical  Million,  a monthly  magazine  started 
at  Singer’s  Glen  in  January  1870.  This  maga- 
zine is  still  being  published  the  enterprise  hav- 
ing been  transferred,  with  the  related  publish- 
ing interests,  from  Singer’s  Glen  to  Dayton, 
ten  miles  southwest,  in  1879.  At  Dayton 


the  work  begun  at  Singer’s  Glen  by  Joseph 
Funk  & Sons  is  being  carried  on  bv  their 
descendants  in  the  Ruebush-Ivieffer  Company 
and  the  Ruebush- Elkins  Company,  which  are 
among  the  best  known  publishing  houses, 
especially  as  regards  music  publications,  in 
the  Southern  States. 

Among  the  contributors  to  the  Musical  Ad- 
vocate in  1859, 1860,  and  in  186 L were  two  men 
that  are  today  counted  among  the  foremost 
poets,  scholars  and  literary  men  of  the  Shen- 
andoah Valley:  one  of  these  was  Joseph  Sal- 
yards,  already  distinguished  as  a teacher,  poet, 
and  scholar,  and  later  more  famous  still  as  the 
head  master  of  a great  school  at  New  Market; 
the  other  was  young  Aldine  Kieffer,  Joseph 
Funk’s  grandson — son  of  that  daughter  to 


Aldine  S Kieffer — 1840-1904.  Grand- 
son of  Joseph  Funk.  Poet  and  author. 

whom  the  elegant  letters  of  Father  Funk 
were  written  from  1837  to  1848. 

Joseph  Funk  died  December  24,  1862,  and 
we  end  this  sketch  of  him  as  we  began,  by 
terming  him  the  Father  of  Song  in  Northern 
Virginia.  He  began  his  publication  of  the 
Harmonia  Sacra  when  he  had  to  have  the 
printing  done  sixty  miles  away  from  his  own 
place  of  work.  He  set  up  a printing  press 
and  bindery  of  his  own  when  he  had  to  get 
the  press  at  Richmond,  120  miles  away;  the 
book  press  screw  at  Lynchburg,  100  miles 
away;  and  most  of  his  printer’s  supplies  from 
Philadelphia,  240  miles  away;  and  all  this  when 
the  nearest  point  on  the  railroad  was  100  miles 


away.  He  and  his  sons  taught  hundreds  of 
singing  classes  all  over  Northern  Virginia, and 
to  his  school  at  Singer’s  Glen  young  men  came 
to  study  from  various  places  distant  many 
miles.  His  publications  were  sent  all  over 
Virginia,  and  to  a dozen  other  States;  and  his 
work  is  being  perpetuated  in  the  music  school 
and  collegiate  institute  at  Dayton,  as  well  as 
in  the  publishing  houses  already  named.  If 
any  further  justification  of  the  term  applied  to 
Joseph  Funk  were  needed,  it  might  be  found 
in  the  following  incident: 

A year  or  two  ago  the  writer  of  this  paper 
asked  a dozen  competent  judges  to  elect  the 
twelve  leading  singers  and  musicians  of  Rock- 
ingham County,  and  to  name  in  addition 
others  deemed  worthy  of  mention. 
About  eighty  different  men  and 
women  were  named.  Joseph  Funk’s 
name  was  first  on  mo3t  of  the  lists, 
and  when  the  elect  twelve  were  fixed  upon, 
one  was  found  to  be  Joseph  Funk’s  son,  an- 
other his  grandson,  two  others  his  great  grand- 
sons, and  nearly  all  the  rest  direct  or  remote 
descendants.  Of  the  large  number  receiving 
honorable  mention,  a large  proportion  were 
persons  who  were  kin  to  him  by  blood  or  had 
felt  the  influence  of  his  work. 

One  of  the  most  popular  diversons  in  Rock- 
ingham and  adjacent  counties  to-day  is  to  have 
“old  folks’  singings,”  in  which  the  Harmonia 
Sacra  is  used. 


